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NCR DII Top 20: Who’s Doing Well?

NCR DII rugby

National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) asks its Division II coaches to rank the competition every week, and that attention helps the wider rugby community understand the activity around the country. It can also inspire the teams themselves, perhaps younger programs or new NCR members that didn’t know the extent of the competition and their place in it. Yes, there are always going to be debatable rankings, and maybe even important misses, but overall, the Coaches Polls keep people informed. [Lead photo: 2022 nationals / Jackie Finlan]

The following is a little more detail on the most recent NCR DII Coaches Poll as well as some impending conference championships. Click here for more information on the DII regional playoffs (Nov. 11-12 in four locations). Read more about the DI Coaches Poll and stay tuned for the Small College (SC) version. Check out TRB’s Scores Page for a wider view on the rugby being played this fall.

 

NCR DII COACHES POLL

1. UW Eau Claire (Great Waters/North). The reigning DII national champion plays all of the DII and Small College (SC) teams in its area and is 4-0 so far. Its final DII conference opposition, UW Stevens Point, is this Saturday and SC Platteville ends the regular season. On Nov. 4-5, the conference’s North and South pools will play crossover semifinals and final at the Winnebago County Rugby Fields in Oshkosh, Wis.

2. Roger Williams (Rugby Northeast). There are only three DII Rugby Northeast teams but they’ve all done good jobs bulking up their schedules with competitive friendlies. The Hawks end their season with conference games against Providence College and UMass Lowell, having beaten Tri-State’s Fairfield, SC Colby and DI UMass. Its lone loss was a and five-point decision to SC national champion Endicott College.

Tie-3. Coast Guard (New England Wide). The Bears didn’t play their first significant match until Oct. 7 (31-5 win against New Hampshire) thanks to back-to-back forfeit wins. Last weekend, the academy beat Vermont – its nemesis the last couple of seasons – 79-0. The B side won 63-0 as well. This Saturday is homecoming against Maine, and conference playoffs (semifinals) begin Oct. 28.

Tie-3. Vassar (Tri-State). Arguably the biggest news of the fall so far, the Brewers lost to Columbia 20-28 on Oct. 8, but the Coaches Poll was cautious in its reward to the Lions, which are ranked 6th. The conference holds full playoffs – quarterfinals and semifinals on Oct. 28-29 and championship on Nov. 4 – so there’s time to test that rationale.

5. Grand Valley State (Great Lakes). Standings name the conference champion and the Lakers are way out in front. No disrespect to the teams that are showing up every Saturday, but the Allendale, Mich., is in a good place to book its travel to Elkhart, Ind. – the Midwest site for Rounds of 16/8. More pushback awaits at the Moose Rugby Grounds, including the Great Waters champion.

 

6. Columbia (Tri-State). The New York City team is 4-0, a record that includes a win against Vassar. League season ends this Saturday against Hofstra, and then it’s three rounds of conference playoffs for a spot at regionals. Tri-State is a good option for an at-large bid.

7. Temple (Mid-Atlantic/North). The Owls have been going about their business in the expanded conference’s North division, outscoring opponents 247-10. The Pennsylvania team will close with Kutztown this Saturday and then move into crossover conference playoffs with MARC South on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4.

8. Colorado School of Mines (High Peaks). The Orediggers haven’t played a ton of rugby this fall. They beat DII Northern Colorado 72-0, SC Colorado College 66-12 and lost to CRAA DI Colorado State by 11 points. They’re supposed to host Univ. Utah and DI Boise State the next two weekends.

9. Louisiana State (Lone Star). The team has beaten two DI Texas teams and DII UTSA 38-17. This weekend’s game against DI Southern Nazarene will be tough, but will also sharpen a team that is seriously eying the playoffs. League championship is Oct. 28 at Baylor Univ.

10. Cincinnati (Ohio Valley). The Bearcats posted three shutouts against DII conference opposition, and tested itself against DI Kent State is a 19-22 loss. Cincinnati has won the conference and will head to Elkhart, Ind., for its Round of 16/8 playoffs on Nov. 11-12. The Great Waters and Great Lakes champions will also be there.

 

11. UW Stevens Point (Great Waters/North). The Wisconsin team is having a decent year but it is a little confusing as to why it’s ranked so high. Stevens Point beat DII UW LaCrosse but then lost its next three games to Northern Michigan, UW Platteville and Marquette. This Saturday is against UW Eau Claire so that will lend some perspective. Playoffs are Nov. 4-5.

12. Coastal Carolina (South Atlantic/East). The South Carolina team has DII opposition this fall with the inclusion of former CRAA teams. CCU is 2-0 against SARC East mates College of Charleston and UNC Charlotte and pushed itself against NIRA’s Lander in a 24-3 loss. The team also played at Rucktoberfest, where it faced host Appalachian State in a 36-0 friendly win. This Saturday is against USC and a win secures the top seed for the Oct. 28 SARC East #1 vs. West #1 championship.

13. Syracuse (Upstate NY). This four-team league has been fun to follow as teams have traded wins and losses. Syracuse is 2-0, beating Cornell and SUNY Binghamton, and was sad to have last weekend’s friendly against West Virginia Univ. canceled. But the team will close out against DI Colgate and Buffalo, and standings will name the champion and regional rep.

14. Appalachian State (SARC/West). The Mountaineers are technically 3-0 in the SARC West but two of those wins were forfeits. The Boone, N.C., team beat Georgia Tech handily and then hosted Rucktoberfest, and will get a nice push against SC Lee Univ. this Saturday. AHO should be the West #1 team for the Oct. 28 SARC championship.

15. Buffalo (Upstate NY). Buffalo beat DI Colgate to kick off the season, got its first DII win against Cornell, and then lost to SUNY Binghamton 22-10 last Saturday. Buffalo ends its regular season against Syracuse, and depending on the outcome, three teams could end up 2-1. The caveat is whether the games against DI Colgate “count” in the official standings (Binghamton lost to Colgate). If they do, then the DII conference title will be between Syracuse and Buffalo.

 

16. Providence (Rugby Northeast). Like Roger Williams, Providence has added competitive friendlies (e.g., Penn State and Northeastern B sides) to its schedule to stay playing and push development. On Oct. 28, the Friars face the Hawks, which will decide the rep to regionals.

17. American (Mid-Atlantic/South). The D.C. program leads the former Capital conference, which now accounts for the southern division of the Mid-Atlantic. Weather has plagued the schedule, but American has defeated Maryland and William & Mary, and is getting its make-up game against George Washington this Friday. Navy’s B side is scheduled for Saturday, and playoff-ineligible team has added nice competition to the area. Crossover playoffs with the MARC North begin Oct. 28.

18. Illinois (Great Waters/South). The team is 4-0 with wins against Loyola, DePaul, UIC and Northwestern. Regular season ends against SC Chicago and then crossover playoffs are Nov. 4-5 in Oshkosh, Wis.

19. UT San Antonio (Lone Star). Team’s 1-2 against DI and DII opponents, the most significant result being a 38-17 loss to fellow DII team Louisiana State. Conference championships are Oct. 28 at Baylor Univ.

20. Bowling Green (Great Lakes). The Ohio team is undefeated in league, save a big shutout loss to Grand Valley State. Season ends with games against Central Michigan and Western Michigan. Standings name conference champion and rep to regionals.

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